Decorated handbag



Oct. 14, 1947. R. JACKLER ETAL 2,428,972

DEcoRATED HANDBAG Filed Aug. '19, 1944 2 sheet-sheet 1 ATTo/n/EY LWENToRs Oct. 14,'1947'. R. JCKLER ETAL, 2,428,972 y DECORATED HANDBAG "Filed Aug. 19, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 2 i Nf ` TAPES oR CORDS INVENTORS R055 JACKLER 01705 Y H.6QLDBERG BZW/@Ma ATTO RNEY Patented ct. 14, 19.47

UNITED STATES.. PATENT OFFICE DECORAISSQSINDBAG Rose Jackler, Brooklyn, and Daisy H. Goldberg, New York, N. Y,

Application August 19, 1944, SerialNo. 550,144

This invention relates to handbags and more particularly that type of handbag which comprises an appropriate bag body exteriorly decorated with pieces or strips of wood, plastic, or other suitable material. v

Bags of this general type have'heretofore been widely used and in such prior bags the decorative elements have been almost uniformly secured in position on the exterior of the bag by means of cords or tapes which are threaded through the decorative elements and .secured to the bag body by sewing, staples, or the like.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bag of this general type lwherein the decorative elements may be intertted with one another in such manner that they are, by virtue of such interiitting, maintained in assembled relation with respect to one'another and also with respect to the frame of the bag, although in some cases, it is possible, as will hereinafter be more fully described, to employ interitting groups of elements assembled as units and the units thereafter connected by tapes. In this way certain of the advantages of this invention may be obtained while still employing tapes although preferably the bag of this invention entirely eliminates the use of tapes.

Another object is to eliminate insecure and unsatisfactory tapes which must be laboriously attached and which are usually either too tight or too loose and a further object of the Iinvention is the elimination of kbreakage of cords or tapes caused by the friction of the decorative parts against the connecting cords or tapes.

Speaking generally, the decorative elements are preferably made of regular form and are provided along their edges with either or both male or female joints, the male joint being in the form yof a tongue with a cylindrical head and a reduced shank and the female joint being of the form of a groove with a cylindrical base and a constricted mouth. The tongue and groove joints are complementary to one another, so that the joints of adjacent elements may be interfitted to secure the elements together without the use of tapes or any other extraneous means. Likewise the frame of the bag-may be provided with male or female joint elements of similar character, so arranged as to cooperate with the complementary joints of the assembled decorative L `attaching devices, as will hereinafter be more vfully explained.

1 Claim. (Cl. 15d-.928)

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claim, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate diierent practical embodiments of the invention, but the constructions therein shown are to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as dening the limits of the invention YFigure l is a perspective view of a bag embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmental section perspective view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. l

Figure 3 shows a modified form of joint connection between decorative elements.

Figure 4 shows decorative elements of different shape Vthan those illustrated in Figure 1 Figure 5 is a'front `elevation of one of the decorative elements of the structure of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on the line v6.-!5 of Fig.- ure 5.

Figure '7 is a section .on the line l-.-f1 of Figure 5.

Figure B is a fragmental View of decorative elements wherein the type of elements shown in both of Figures 1 and 4 are associated with one .another in the assembly.

Figures 9 and 10 are central sections taken parallel to the plane of the outer surface of the decoration, showing .different ways of securing the .elements in intertting relation. f

Figure 11 shows a modified form of the in.- vention wherein certain features of the inven. `tion'are employed to assemble a plurality of elements into' units and vthe units thereafter connected together by tapes or cords.

Referring first t0 Figures 1 and 2, l designates two' border strips, which may, if desired, be frame pieces of the bag body. These strips are shown as provided with catch members 2 of any conventional kind, such as slide fasteners, throw- `over locks, snap fasteners, drawstrings, or the like, for the purpose of securing the bag in closed position. The border strips I are secured to the bag body 3, shown as consisting of a lining, which may be provided at its opposite ends with gussets 3a. The particular shape or design of the bag body is not important as any appropriate Y backing will suffice.

1i-Tteference character 4 indicates a plurality of like decorative elements, shown as elongated strips of a substantially rectangular form, although other shapes may be used. These strips may be of any appropriate thickness and shape and each is provided along each of its opposite longitudinal edges with a joint.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, one edge of each strip has formed therein a groove 5 having a cylindrical base and a constricted mouth. Along the opposite longitudinal edge of each strip is formed an elongated tongue 6 with a cylindrical head and a reduced shank. The cylindrical head of the tongue is substantially the same size as the cylindrical base of the groove, so that the tongue and groove of two adjacent strips may be slipped into interttting relation by relative longitudinal movement between the strips, but the shank of the tongue is made sufciently long as to space the shoulders, laterally of the joints, slightly apart to permit of proper articulation between the strips. Y

One of the border strips l is provided with a tongue Ea corresponding to the tongues 6, while the other border strip I is provided with a groove Ea corresponding to the grooves 5. By virtue of the tongues and grooves on the strips l and 4, it is possible to assemble a succession of decorative strips 4 in edge to edge interlocked relation by relative longitudinal movement between these strips and to also secure the thus assembled strips to the border strips l, in such manner as to closely embrace the bag body 3 andforrn an exterior decoration thereover.

If desired, the strips 4 may be provided with appropriate erforations 1 through which stitches, staples, rivets, or the like locking means may be passed through the lining and thus preclude relative longitudinal movement between the strips which might result in their ends becoming out of alinement. In practice, however, these locking means are not necessary as the strips may be formed with locking members, such, for example, as shown in Figs. 9 and l0 and hereinafter more fully described, serving to lock the strips and the frame pieces l against longitudinal shifting, when once properly assembled with rspect to one another.

In the construction of Figures 1 and 2, the decorative elements 4 are shown as provided on their opposite edges with male and female intertting tongue and groove joints. It is within the purview of this invention, however, to make the joints of both edges of each strip either male or female. As shown in Figure 3, where both edges are female, it is necessary to introduce a dumb bell shaped key 6b between the edges of adjacent strips. If the joints of said strips were of male character, the key 6b would insuch event constitute, in effect, a duplex female Ymember serving to join contiguous edges of the strips to one another.

In Figures l, 2 and 3, the strips 4 are shown as extending the full length of the bag, but if desired, these strips may be divided longitudinally into shorter lengths, such as the squares 4a, shown in Figures 4 7. In this showing each square 4a is provided along two of its adjacent edges with tongues 6 and along the other two of its adjacent edges with grooves 5, formed in exactly the same manner as described with respect to Figures l and 2, although in practice they may be constituted as explained with respect to Figure 3.

With the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 6, appropriate lengths or rows of the several decorative elements'4a are preferably assembled as units and thereafter each row, as a unit, is longitudinally slid into interfitting relation with the next row to build up the complete surface decoration necessary for a bag, such as shown in Figure 1. One of the advantages of the structure of Figure 4 over the structure of Figure 1 is that a greater variation in color or design may be obtained for the decorative elements of any particular row which may be of different colors, interspaced with appropriate colors in the other rows.

It is also possible, in carrying out this invention, to combine the arrangements of Figs. 1 and 4 as shown, for example, in Figure 8, where the uppermost and lowermost row of decorative elements 4a are assembled with an intermediate strip 4 which extends for the full length of the bag or for a portion of the length of the bag and the general horizontal arrangement shown in Figure 8'can be carried out in an arrangement wherein the strip 4 extends vertically of the bag for substantially the whole or a part of the height of the latter.

When decorative elements are assembled in the manner described, suitable means should be provided to maintain the elements in assembled relation, for as these elements articulate, there may be a tendency in some cases for them to shift longitudinally of the bag and thus get out of alinement. In describing Figure 1 we have referred to the use of stitches, Staples or rivets to obviate this, but in Figures 9 and 10, we have shown means incorporated in the structure of the decorative elements for accomplishing this result.

In the showing of Figure 9, at least one of the tongues of each element 4a, shown in this figure, is provided with a somewhat springy finger 8, while the base of the groove is transversely cut away or notched, as indicated at 9, so that when the elements are assembled, the fingers 8 will spring into the transverse cut away portions 9 and lock the elements against edgewise shifting. The cut away portions 9 are, however, sufliciently broad, in a direction normal to the faces of the elements, as to permit articulation of the tongues within these cut away portions or depressions and thus not interfere with proper articulation between adjacent elements. In practice each of the elements may be provided with these locking means if desired, but ordinarily only those elements at the opposite ends of the bag are so formed, forV if the end elements are locked, no appreciable longitudinal shifting of any of the elements of the assembly can result.

In Figure 10 another form of locking means is shown. Here at least one tongue of each of the elements 4a is provided with a transverse notch or depression l0, while in the base of the opposite groove is formed a pocket H in which is positioned a locking pin or plug l2 with a spring i3 in back of the plug. The plug may be retracted while the elements are shifted into assembled relation, but when assembled, the spring will force it into the notch Il] and lock the parts together. In lieu of the spring pressed plug or pin, shown in Figure 1G, a small yielding rubber cylinder might be used for the same purpose, for such a cylinder could be compressed while the elements are being assembled, to spring out when it comes into register with the cut out and thus form a lock which is strong enough for all practical purposes.

These structures of Figures 9 and 10 are illustrative of various locking devices which we may use within the purview of this invention and these may be employed in connection with the decorative elements in strip or any other form.

. y In Figures 4-11, the decorative elements have been shown as substantially square, but they may be of other shapes without departing from this invention.

There is quite an advantage in the use of the relatively small decorative elements described and it is possible and thoroughly practical to use a plurality of these intertting elements, as shown for example in Figure 11. In this gure a number of rows of such elements are independently assembled, each of such elements being provided with straight through holes i4 and, after the requisite number of rows of elements have been assembled in accordance with this invention, the several rows may be strung on tapes l5 and these tapes, in turn, secured to the border strips I or to the top margins of the bag body by stitches or other appropriate securing means, such as are commonly employed in the art; Thus, it is possible to obtain novel designs and improved structures by employing the novel features of the present invention in connection with other elements of bagr construction which are 01d.

The advantages of interlocking decorative elements, as hereinbefore described, are many. The designs obtainable are almost unlimited, while the assembly of the elements may be carried out by unskilled labor and with ease and facility. The parts are practically indestructible under ordinary wear and tear, particularly if tapes are not employed and the individual elements are such that they may be economically and readily manufactured.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what we 6 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A handbag comprising: a bag body secured to border strips extending along the opposite sides of its open top, said body having a covering of decorative elements successively jointed in edge to edge relation to one another and to said border strips by interlocking tongues and grooves, each groove having a cylindrical base and a constricted mouth and each tongue having a cylindrical head interfitted with the base of the groove and a reduced shank extending through the con- `stricted mouth of the groove, and a projection carried by one of each two adjacent elements and extending into a recess in the other of such elements to preclude edgewise sliding movement between them.

ROSE JACKLER. DAISY H. GOLDBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 135,607 Kalisher May 4, 1943 310,662 Freeman Jan. 13, 1885 1,900,377 Augenstein Mar. 7, 1933 2,020,470 Landis Nov. 12, 1935 2,253,489 Smith Aug. 19, 1941 2,256,645 Kuhlman Sept. 23, 1941 2,294,089 Lobel Aug. 25, 1942 2,354,485 Slaughter July 25, 1944 2,372,520 Rubin Mar. 27, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES Page 905 of Popular Mechanics of June 1939. 

